1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remedy for sleep apnea, i.e. nocturnal respiratory disorders. The therapy involves treatment of a subject with a composition containing 2-isopropyl-2,8-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-6-azaoctane nitrile, preferably in the form of its pharmacologically approved acid addition salts (Verapamil), as the active ingredient.
2. Description of the Background
Recently, it has become known in medicine that a pathological condition diagnosed as sleep apnea represents a much more significant threat to a patient suffering from it than was previously generally assumed. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea have periods during sleep when they stop breathing, and these periods are interrupted by arousals. A constriction of the extrathoracic respiratory passages results in snoring and an inhibition of gas exchange.
As a rule, more than 100 phases per night are recorded in these cases, and, correspondingly, an apnea index of more than 10 per hour of sleep time. The length of the individual periods when respiration stops is generally more than 10 seconds. FNT *)
*) A prevalence for an apnea index of 10 or more in 10% of the working middle-aged men is observed.
The psychophysical symptoms in sleep apnea are hypersomia, i.e. an excessively increased tendency to fall asleep during the day, and parallel to this, existing problems due to lack of continuous sleep such as performance slumps and depression. (cf. J. H. Peter, Die Erfassung der Schlafapnoe in der Inneren Medizin, Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, 1987).
The leading symptom mentioned is heart failure. Other leading symptoms are arterial and pulmonary hypertension, as well as obesity and cardiac arrythmias during the night.
For therapy of sleep apnea in patients with high blood pressure, the anti-depressive protriptyline has been used, among other drugs [cf. E. C. Fletcher, R. D. DeBehnke, M. S. Lovoi, A. G. Gerin, Am. Intern. Med. 103, 190 (1985)]. Furthermore, there is a study concerning the influence of Nifedipine (1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridine carboxylic acid dimethyl ester) on hypertension and apnea activity in sleep apnea syndrome. A significant reduction in blood pressure as well as in the number of apnea phases was achieved with this compound (cf. J. Mayer, D. Kunz, V. Koehler, J. H. Peter, T. Podszus, B. Steinbach, P. von Wichert, Z. Kardiol. 74, Suppl. 3, 34 (1985)).
In view of the known hazard of sleep apnea syndrome, which is now recognized by the medical community, the scope is not only to give the practicing physician effective remedies for treatment of this illness, but also, if possible, to provide a positive influence on the pathological conditions related to sleep apnea syndrome, i.e. conditions which cause it.